Hey folks -- I just visited with Ed Ledger at Ledger's Liquors in Berkeley, CA and discovered he has at least six cases of the old label 151 and a few of the 80. So if you're in the SF area, you might want to pop over and grab a case or two. Huli pau!

Just got several bottles of Lemon Hart 151 & another old Red Label 80 Proof LH bottle from Potomac Wine & Spirits in Georgetown (Washington DC) He can ship if its legal in your State to do so. They "stock" LH 151, but call ahead they can order more quickly if sold out on the shelf. The old red label LH 80 is another matter.

It appears to me that Maryland liquor distributors are keeping LH out of the state. Have NOT been able to find anyone that stocks LH or is willing to order it in Maryland proper. Just Barcadi 151 or Gosling 151. Thortiki

Jokeiii THANKS for the heads up on Lemon Hart suppliers. If you look hard enough LH can be found. Heard some say that the taste difference between the old red label & new label LH 80 proof is not noticeable. Also the readily available El Dorado 80 proof (5 yr) is just as good as LH 80 proof. Thortiki

I have the old label Lemon Hart 151, Lemon Hart 80, El Dorado 5 year, El Dorado 12 year (just finished the 15 year) and Bacardi Select (among many others) in stock so I did a comparison of the others to Lemon Hart 80. I diluted the Lemon Hart 151 to 80 proof to compare apples to apples. The diluted LH 151 tastes very similar to LH 80 although it has a more prevalent spicy smell. That will be my choice once my supply of LH 80 runs out. Surprisingly the Bacardi Select is a close substitute for LH 80, closer than the El Dorado 5 year but the LH 80 has a slightly wider flavor spectrum. The El Dorado 5 year tastes great but is not as close in flavor to LH 80 as the others. It is mellower but not sweet like the El Dorado 12 year which isn't even close to LH 80.

Martiki (a.k.a. Martin Cate) pointed out that Bacardi Select isn't nearly the rum that LH 80 is but I maintain that in a cocktail with several modifiers you would be very hard pressed to tell the difference. He writes:

"Bacardi Select is a molasses-based rum that is column distilled to 190 proof so that it is virtually vodka, then aged (as it is required by PR law) for 1 year. It is, however aged in stainless steel which imparts no character. It is then heavily colored, possibly flavored, and very lightly sweetened. It takes very little sugar to smooth out any spirit.

So what you are tasting with Lemon Hart is rum, and what you are tasting with Bacardi is sweetened flavored vodka. If you prefer it on your palate and in your drinks, then it's simply your taste preference, which is of course fine and up to you, but know that they are not particularly comparable."

By the way, the Lemon Hart is artificially colored as well so you can't hold that against Bacardi Select and while El Dorado 5 year is a fine rum it isn't the closest substitute flavor wise. Don't take this the wrong way as I always use top shelf rums when I make drinks at home but now that LH 80 is impossible to find one must be prepared to compromise. If the Bacardi label causes too much embarrassment one could fill an old LH 80 bottle but you are better off diluting LH 151 instead, if you can find it.

It's been years since I've found the LH 80, so I've been using the El Dordado 5. I've tried Bacardi Select as a substitute and definitely prefer the ED. While the Bacardi Select smelled promising I found the taste to be a rather plain, "alcohol" flavor. Since we're on the subject any other Bacardi rum worth trying out, like Bacardi 8?

On 2013-06-21 08:21, Kill Devil wrote:It's been years since I've found the LH 80, so I've been using the El Dordado 5. I've tried Bacardi Select as a substitute and definitely prefer the ED. While the Bacardi Select smelled promising I found the taste to be a rather plain, "alcohol" flavor. Since we're on the subject any other Bacardi rum worth trying out, like Bacardi 8?

YES on Bacardi 8. It works well in most any cocktail specifically calling for gold PR rum, is typically easier to track down that Ron Barillito, and at ~ $20 a bottle is a bargain.. I think that is the only essential rum out of the entire Bacardi line.